Father's Day Weekend At The Lake

A sign of a really fulfilling weekend is always how hard it is to keep my eyes open come 7pm on a Sunday night...am I right?! I don't know how I've managed to even type out a sentence here on this keyboard right now, but I just had to get up a Father's Day post.

Billy's request for Father's Day weekend was to spend it at his favorite spot on Catawba Island boating, fishing, and relaxing with the kids and his family. He's in his true element there, so I was happy to pack up the kids (which felt like it took days to do and we may have packed the entire house for a short 3 days but #worthit) and head there on Friday!

 (this one didn't drive us there, despite what it may look like.. ;)

And to no one's surprise at all, we had the best time.

Camden caught his first fish (with the help of his grandpa) and was obsessed with riding in the golf cart, on the boat, playing at the beach area. He had the time of his life, especially since his aunt and uncle brought him a new huge ball + inflatable basketball hoop for the pool. Grayson got to go on his very first boat ride, too! He wasn't sure what to think at first (I think more so of the life jacket that was weighing him down ha), but was all smiles and happy as a clam the entire weekend, no matter where we were or what we did. Also, he shocked us all this weekend when he decided to say "night night!" It was so cute!

If there's one thing in this world that I know to be 100% true, it's that my boys are so beyond blessed to have Billy as their Daddy. He truly gives us his all day in and day out, and rarely asks for anything in return. He puts the boys first and is always making them laugh or showing them love. The boys light up when he walks in the door. He is always so patient and kind and I am so thankful for everything he does for our family and the type of father he is!

And also I have to wish my own Dad a Happy Father's Day as well. He is basically a best friend to me and has always been my hero, role model, and #1 supporter. I don't know what I would do without him and the lessons he has taught me!

Dad's definitely don't have it easy so if any of you reading are one, thank you for what you do! :) 

When Your Husband Has A Birthday

...you plaster a bunch of your favorite pics on your blog and embarrass him with sappy words. Hey, someones got to do it!

The truth is I would be totally lost without my husband. He is, without a doubt, the greatest role model our two boys could ever have. I knew this about him when I married him, but it's another thing to be actually living it now and seeing it happen.

He is incredibly hardworking and cares so much about our family! He loves me day in and day out and when I'm at my worst, which isn't the easiest of tasks.

Not to mention, he is pretty dang handsome...

 

 

And don't get me started on the type of father he is...if you saw the way Camden looks at him then you would know how crazy he is about his Daddy - he truly lights up when he walks in the room! Billy helps out with everything when taking care of Camden (+Rocky, duh) but never hesitates to do so. I'm so thankful for all that he does and after 12 years together, I can honestly say I've never loved him more.

Happy 32nd birthday, babe! We love you so much and can't wait to celebrate you!
Katie, Cam, Rocky, and Baby Boy #2 :)

PS: Head here if you missed my $100 Gift Card Giveaway yesterday! 

Five Years

Today marks FIVE years of marriage to this cutie! I can't believe we got married 5 years ago...everything about that day was so perfect. Nothing will ever compare to it! 

For my past anniversary posts, I've talked a lot about Billy as a husband but for this anniversary I really wanted to write about how he has been in this current stage of our marriage - a Daddy! Life is so much busier with a baby and I've recognized that I don't verbally acknowledge nearly enough how amazing he has shifted into this new role as a parent.

Can I brag on him for a moment? yes? :) Anyway, it's always been important to me to have a spouse who encourages me to do things that make me happy (outside of my family-obviously they are my #1) and to have time for myself, girlfriends, and to be a really hands-on parent. As you know I recently went to Colorado with my girlfriend to visit my cousin and when we were first just talking about the idea Billy supported me the entire time and reassured me that him and Camden would be just fine. I was really nervous and worried about leaving Camden for 4 days (and felt somewhat guilty too), but he never once questioned if he could handle all the responsibilities on his own-he was just excited for his Daddy and son time together. Well, when I came home, I was truly blown away about how well things had gone. Aside from taking care of Cam wonderfully (not once did I receive a panic text/phone call-ha!), I came home to a completely spotless home, a newly organized kitchen (even the tupperware cabinet that resembled that of a tornado prior), both of our cars waxed and cleaned out, and stories about taking Cam on a hike and all the fun they had together. I was pretty much in shock because, honestly, I wasn't sure what I would be walking into after 4 days of being gone, haha! It's not that I wasn't confident in his capabilities because I knew he would be just fine, but he really went above and beyond. I felt a huge sense of relief...it was just so nice and I could tell he was really proud of all that he accomplished. And he should be...heck, I don't even accomplish all of that when I'm at home with Cam most of the time.

Obviously this is just one recent example but there are so many different reasons why I love him and am thankful for him. I get teary eyed when I reflect about all the memories we have together and how far we have come. So yeah, all of this to say...Billy, I feel so thankful and blessed to have you in my life and as a father to our son. You continue to impress me every single day. Thank you for working hard to support our family and for loving us-I love you to the moon! I'm looking forward to celebrating with you tonight! 

PS: Trip recap should be up Monday! I just uploaded my millions of pics and can't wait to share them!! Lastly, did you enter this giveaway yet? Hop on over and get yourself entered!

TO MY LOVE

Husband,

Today isn't just your birthday. It also serves as a great reminder - that you're officially a year and then some older than me! You old man, you! I would say I'm kidding, but it's the truth. Anyway...this next year of your life is going to be different than others. You're going to spend far more time taking care of Camden than yourself (which you've already started doing)...your days of sleeping in won't happen very often and you'll feel much more exhausted than in the past...you might spend some Saturday afternoons at the park instead of out at the driving range...BUT I hope you know what you will gain that will be unlike any of your other birthdays: a wife who has never loved or respected her husband more, and a son who is absolutely crazy about you. Before you became a Daddy, I truly thought I couldn't love you any more. That that kind of love I had was maxed out. But oh I was so wrong! Seeing you with our son makes my heart swell like it never has before, and I've never been more proud and happy to call you mine! And I KNOW Camden feels the same, you are so so amazing with him. Happy happy birthday - me, Cam, and Rocky can't wait to celebrate with you! 

Love you always.

Paying It Forward

{yep-YOU. I'm looking at YOU!}

#TGIF! Who's with me? :)

The other night, Billy and I volunteered at an all women's homeless shelter. Something that I really wanted to do before Camden comes along, and if I'm being really honest, for the past few years but I failed to make it happen. In a world so wrapped up in gift giving (and I admit that I'm not an exception to this, as I often stress more than I should about buying the perfect gifts, making my list, etc.), I wanted to focus on something else and felt like with all the love we have received this year that I wanted to pay it forward in some way.

We spent the evening serving meals to the women, making small talk with them as they came through the line, and preparing bagged lunches for the following day. The one thing that stood out to me were the positive attitudes of most of the women who came through the line. Here they are, in a situation where they don't have a place to call home and with not much to their name, but they put forth an effort to make US laugh and smile. Most of them still had smiles on their face, and were extremely grateful for a warm meal. It made me realize how I handle the hard times and bad days in my life and I know that when I do have them, I can't say I have a positive attitude or a smile on my face. Do I come home and whine? Yep. Do I feel sorry for myself and use that as an excuse to not focus on all the good in my life? Oh yeah. 

It really makes you think about what is truly important in your life, and to focus on what you do have, instead of what you don't.

When we were finished for the evening, we had to cut through the cafeteria where the women were eating to exit the building and a group of the women looked over and noticed I was pregnant. They started chanting and clapping, mainly for Billy, and were so excited for us asking us when we were due and what we were having. In that moment, Billy's face turned a whole different shade of red that I never knew existed before, but we both thought it was hilarious and really sweet.

When we got outside to our car Billy turned to me and said, "is this going to be a yearly thing now?" and I just smiled back at him. I think he knows the answer to that.

Today, as I'm reflecting back on our experience (don't get me wrong-I'm definitely not Mother Theresa for doing this one thing and need to improve myself in many ways) I challenge you all to pay it forward in some way this weekend. It can be in any way. Or to maybe think about volunteering your time this holiday season. I just felt like sharing our experience because I always want to remember it and thought it might inspire some of you. :)

If you live in Columbus and are interested in volunteering...here is the website I went to to sign us up, which has a lot of opportunities you can look into. 

Let's all try to not forget the real meaning of the season! Cliche, but true. PS-Don't forget that on my post from Monday, you can have a donation sent to Feeding America in your name just by leaving a comment (and it also enters you into a $50 Gift Card giveaway!) Have a good weekend, friends.

Thoughts About Our Last Trip "Just The 2 Of Us"

 so I'd like to know why Ohio can't look like this every day and night? Sigh...

There is nothing more annoying than having to look at multiple beach pictures when you're stuck at work on a Monday morning...that's why I decided to spare you yesterday and wait until today to share our vacation pictures ;) I'm so kind, I know. Actually, since most of you have already seen much of Naples via this blog of mine from our past trips, I'm going to try to keep it short and sweet this time...

This trip was the last vacation we will take before our little Camden arrives! We decided to bring Rocky with us because we figured he deserved a little escape before the baby arrives, too. He's become quite the expert traveler these days! Also, did you know that if you're pregnant you can preboard?! We were chatting with one of the ladies at the airport before our first flight and she told me this! Pregnancy perk #62... Anyway, I kept going back and forth about if we really "needed" to go on this trip since we just went to Charleston and we did already go to Florida earlier this year, but of course I should've known that yes...yes...it was definitely a good idea and I would recommend to any of you to carve out some time with just your spouse before you have a baby.

We had six days of the most beautiful, warm, sunny weather and for once didn't have a single thing planned. It was perfect and I came back with a killer tan! Now if I could just get it to last all fall and winter. Moving on, spending time just the two of us to create new memories, laugh, and talk about the days ahead...I will remember it forever. We lounged all day at the pool...explored new areas (Isle of Capri!)...sipped fruity drinks + beer (non alcoholic for me) on the beach...slept in...ate out often (some new places-I listed them below for anyone planning to visit!)...visited Marco Island for a day...lost some money at the casino...you know, all the normal vacation activities.

 

 

 

 Hey there, 26 week bump! ;)

I'm still sad about having to leave my favorite lounge chair at the pool...I mean, wouldn't you want to sit in this spot forever?

We had the pool pretty much to ourselves most of the days we were there. Not sure why, because it wasn't too hot out or anything, but hey we weren't complaining! And neither was Rocky, since he even got to go for a dip a couple times...#spoiledrotten

this picture might go down as one of my favorites...

One thing we did do this vacation was try some new (to us) restaurants! I found an awesome juice bar called Raw Delicious Juice Bar (on 5th Ave) that I would recommend to anyone visiting Naples. There's also a great breakfast/lunch spot right next door to it, The Cafe, that has acai bowls (what I specifically went there for!) and other great healthy items. We also found a new favorite brunch spot on 3rd St. called Jane's Cafe, which is pet friendly, and has some killer french toast and eggs benedict. I had the best fresh berry lemonade I've ever tasted from here, too...

What I didn't expect to have on this trip was a huge realization and become an emotional mess on one of the days....

It's like it all hit me at once one night after dinner: our life will never be the same. Our trips will never be the same. Our relationship will never be the same. Thoughts of, "am I ready for this?!" were running wild in my head and I admit that for one of the first times this pregnancy, I was truly worried for a little bit.

I was worrying about if I will enjoy our "new life" as much as the life we currently have. Change can be good, but also scary at times. I know that we will be giving up a lot of freedom and that there will be times where we miss our "old" life with less responsibilities, but I know that at the end of the day it will all be worth it to have a family with Billy. I just hope Cam has a little patience with us for the first few months while we adjust... :)

And before I go, I have to give a little love to my husband for a minute. He was so supportive this trip...from "helping me up" out of my chair at the pool (true story-one day my stomach felt 95 lbs!), to making sure I was comfortable everywhere we went, to carrying my purse and camera 95% of the time. Just so sweet and loving...I love that man more than anything.

 

Now that we're back (and our HEAT is on-WOOF!!), we have two of our baby showers in the next two weeks. Holy crap, I'm so excited! I've said this 50 times but I can't believe how fast this pregnancy has gone.

**The winner for the $50 Target gift card is Stephanie Cameron! Again, thank you to those who entered! I'm sure I will have another great giveaway soon, so be on the lookout! :)

Life With My Guy

Today is our FOUR year anniversary!

I think back to that day when I walked down the aisle to marry the man of my dreams and on the past ten years I've spent with Billy and know that it's, hands down, the best decision that I've ever made. I thought I loved him then (and our friends will tell you-I was crazy about him...and I mean borderline cah-razy), but the past 6 months has opened my eyes to a whole new kind of love. 

Starting this new journey together as soon to be parents has brought us closer together than ever before. Not a day has gone by that he has failed to take care of me, support me, and make me feel loved. He works so hard for us every single day (and at night in the nursery for the past 3 weeks!),  gives me more massages than he probably cares to admit even when he is tired after a long day, and tells me nearly everyday how pretty I am before he leaves for work. Because of all this and much much more, I have NO doubt in my mind that he is going to be the best daddy to our son (and other future kiddos..yep..went there!) Camden is going to, without a doubt, have the best role model as a father.

I love that I know Billy better than anyone. I love that he shows a side of himself to me that he doesn't show to anyone else. I love that even when we argue, I never have to question his love for me. He always has my best interest in heart. I love how silly we are when it's just the two of us, and how every night when I fall asleep I know that I have my best friend by my side and that he loves me unconditionally.

I'm so lucky that he chooses to do life with little ole me, and I couldn't be more excited for our new chapter to begin together as parents. I just love him. A lot. A lot. A LOT. and I don't care who knows it. :)

Happy anniversary, Billy! Thank you for loving me.

*special thanks to pregnancy hormones for making me sob before 10am even hits... 

Weekend Happenings // Favorite Things Right Now

1// Can I sing my husbands praises for a moment? He absolutely went above and beyond this weekend getting things done left and right. I can take absolutely zero credit. He finished the board and batten in the nursery (which turned out SO good-I keep going in there to look at it and can't wait to share!), started painting above it on the walls, cleaned out both our cars inside and out, worked in the yard, and set up our new patio furniture. Beyond thankful for his hard work! AND somehow we managed to fit in some fun pictured above, too...

2// Loving how the new set looks on our deck! Now I'm on the hunt for an affordable rug to go under it all...any ideas?

3// Went to the grand opening weekend for a new organic grocery store called Fresh Thyme to come to our area (think Whole Foods but cheaper.) We really liked it! I came home with a big bag of licorice, a juice drink, lentil chips, and a watermelon. If that doesn't scream pregnant I don't know what does...#random

4// Columbus also had their annual Food Truck Festival this past weekend. It's a two day event that features over 40 of the best Food Trucks in Ohio. We went Saturday afternoon for lunch since it was beautiful out and I got these amazing soba noodles and Billy got BBQ. No surprise there-the man loves his BBQ!

5// Friday I set out to do a big maternity shopping trip that ended up being everything but. I bought this sweater (will be perfect for the fall/winter with leggings), a pair of skinny jeans, and a pair of black pants for work but that's it. I had high hopes to find all kinds of essentials that I could wear for the next few months and as it turned out I couldn't find hardly anything in my size or things that I even liked. Why are maternity sections so small and why are good things so hard to come by?! Let's just say I can't wait until the weather cools down and I can wear leggings a lot...excited about that!

6// Kristin sent me the sweetest gift in the mail and included a monthly box from Baby Bump Bundle. It's the same concept as the other monthly subscription boxes, but for moms-to-be and even new mothers! I loved all of my items in the box and have already used them! My favorite being this Glowing Mama scrub.

7// Two words: grilled peaches. The best. Just cut them in half...brush with olive oil...sprinkle cinnamon on top...place on grill. Then of course top with vanilla ice cream. YUM!

8// Really lusting after this adorable sweater for fall (love this color too), but not sure if it'll work with this bump of mine. Obsessed.

9// I can see Camden kicking from the outside now! I've only seen it twice so far and the movements are still pretty quick and fast, but it's so exciting and cool. I've been noticing more and more movements this past week and can't wait for more little baby kicks and jabs to come.

10// Speaking of our little boy, his crib is being ordered this week and we are hoping to pick up the dresser this weekend! Yay for progress!

11// If you like baby moccs or have a pregnant friend/mommy friend who does...come back tomorrow for a big giveaway that I'm really excited to share with you all!! 

Lastly, thank you everyone who has been entering the past few giveaways I've been doing. I try my best to only post giveaways for things that I would truly buy myself. That being said, the winner of the Dr. Brown's giveaway is Jen! (winner also displayed on the Rafflecopter)

How was your weekend? See you tomorrow!

Our 4th In Photos

 

{My handsome date-have you seen a cuter wedding outfit for groomsmen? The suspenders, pants, shoes, everything! My dress is from here} 

{the perfect weather}

{morning walks by the lake with Rocky}

 {my favorite "cottage"}

{getting crazy with my flavored water ;)}

 {night boat ride-we were able to see about 6 or 7 different fireworks shows from the lake!}

{BGSU boys reunion!}

The good: All of the above, a new family member (congratulations Cara & Doug!), a gorgeous wedding, a 4th celebration and cookout with family, and multiple firework shows.

The not so good: Rocky getting attacked by a bulldog (who is normally a very sweet dog-and luckily Rocky is OK...it could've been a lot worse), sleeping on a boat (not pictured: the backache I still have that resulted from it), and the simple fact that I didn't have an excuse as to why my dance moves suck ;) everyone else can blame it on the a a a a alcohol...

How was your holiday spent? hope everyone had a lovely, long weekend!